”six word story”
They smoked their last cigarette. Again.
No one said that quitting was easy. Sure, he had people who supported and encouraged him, but once withdrawals kicked in, it was hard not to reach for a cigarette.
Matthew was his strongest pillar. He himself had quit two years back, and Eduardo still found it strong of him to not even look twice at carton or give his "no thanks" whenever someone offered him a smoke. But he wasn't Matthew. And Matthew hadn't been at it as long as he had.
He had already tried once.
That failed.
But then his friends gave him their full support. His true friends. Not the friends that would "jokingly" offer him a cigarette and then laugh in his face as the reminder of "oh right, you're trying to quit". Matthew never did that. In fact, he yelled at those who did. Ed was so grateful to have him. Even when he almost caved, Matthew was there with a nicotine patch, or a gum and boy, was he lucky.
A week became a month. A month two months. Then Matthew had to leave for Canada. Family business. While Eduardo wished he'd stay, who was he to tell his best friend to give everything up for him? And Matthew would be back soon. Just not soon enough.
His fingers had trailed the cigarette pack he found hidden away in a drawer. He had told himself no even as he grabbed it.
Just one wouldn't hurt.
Right?
